BALLYNURE,
a parish, in the barony of LOWER BELFAST, county of ANTRIM,
and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (N.W.) from Carrickfergus;
containing, with part of the town of Ballyclare,
3549 inhabitants, of which number, 415 are in the village.
This parish,
which is situated on the Six-mile-water, and on the road from
Carrickfergus to Antrim, comprises, according tothe Ordnance
survey, 8540 3/4 statute acres. The soil is fertile, and the lands are
generally in a good state of cultivation; the system of agriculture
is improving ; there is some waste lands and a considerable tract of
bog.
A kind
of basaltic stone is quarried and used for building and for repairing
the roads. There is an extensive bleach-green, also a large paper-mill,
in which the most improved machinery is used for the manufacture of
the finer kinds of paper. Fairs for cattle, pigs, and pedlery are held
on the 16th of May, Sept. 5th, and Oct. 25th; there are large horse
fairs in May and Nov., and also on Christmas-day, at Reagh Hill
; and fairs are also held at Ballyclare. In the village is a
constabulary police station; and a manorial court is held every third
week by the seneschal, for the recovery of debts to the amount of £10.
The living
is a rectory, in the diocese of
Connor, united by charter of the
7th of Jas. I. to the vicarages of Kilroot
and Templecorran, together constituting
the corps of the prebend of Kilroot in the cathedral of Connor
: the tithes amount to £330. The church, a plain small edifice,
built about the year 1602, is situated near the western extremity of
the parish. There is neither glebe nor glebe-house.
In the
R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district
of Larne and Carrickfergus.
There
is a place of worship in the village for Presbyterians in connection
with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class.
There
are three schools, which afford instruction to about 240 children; and
four pay schools, in which are about 90 boys and 10 girls. The late
Mr. Dobbs, of Castle Dobbs, bequeathed £100 for
winter clothing for the poor.
